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The CITE, a blog published by the National Association of College Stores, takes a look at the intersection of education and technology, highlighting issues that range from course materials to learning delivery to the student experience. Comments, discussion, feedback, and ideas are welcome.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

New Generation Same as the Old, But Not

Generation
Z, the latest age group to enter adulthood and college, is fundamentally not
all that different from previous generations at the same point in life, though
there are a few distinctions.

McCann
Truth Central interviewed 33,000 people around the world to find out what sets
each generation apart. The study discovered young adults in every generation
“are focused on finding themselves, finding their people, and finding their
place in the world,” said a report in Ad Age.

Gen Z,
however, does exhibit a few characteristics of its own. Like previous
generations, this age cohort regards their friends as their real family, but
the new twist is that this group is able to literally stay in constant touch
with friends through cellphones and social media.

“Teens
today are also used to connecting with friends all the time with raw,
in-the-moment content using platforms like Snapchat, Twitch, and Periscope,
which means brands have to start understanding Gen Z’s hunger for on-the-ground
immersive perspectives,” said Laura Simpson, executive vice president and
global director of McCann Truth Central.

When it
comes to issues, this age group is highly supportive of social equality—such as
racial equality, women’s issues, and LGBT rights—whereas adults over 50 voice
more concern for individual freedoms (such as political freedom) and curing
diseases. The Z’ers feel major companies and brands should use their power to
effect change.

“The study
also showed that the word ‘adult’ used to be a noun, but is now used as a verb
by Gen Z and young Millennials, such as ‘adulting,’ which is about ‘putting
your life into little moments or little snaps,’” according to Ad Age.